A Rose Beneath the Thorns
by Keehl-River
Summary: Unspeakable things never to be said; Unwritable things never to be wrote; ...But What Happens When They Are? A story of hidden abuse, secret love, and one unforgettable womans' desire to escape the world known to her.
1. A Secret to be Coveted

**Dislcaimer: **If I seriously owned them why the hell would I be suffering through school right now??

- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - -- -

Sobbing was the only noise left in the modest home residing in the suburbs of Japan. No one lived in the houses near the Chiba residence; no one wanted to hear the beautiful woman's cries or pitiful pleas of how sorry she was.

Usagi and Mamoru lived two hours away from any of her old friends, the Sailor Scouts, her protectors.

The two, after the defeat of Galaxica, after the Star Lights departure, and after she had completed High School, had gotten married, Usagi 18 and Mamoru 24. A year of blissful marriage was all Usagi was granted. A year of piece. The year before the two were married Neo-Queen Serenity had sent a plea in the form of a note to Usagi, urging her not to marry Mamoru.

Usagi dismissed the dismal message as nothing and accepted the ring with a rose-shaped diamond set in white gold a year later.

After the year of bliss Mamoru began staying out later and becoming more controlling. At the time they were moving from his apartment to their current home so Usa chalked his new behavior up as a result of stress.

A month later, however, his behavior got worse. Usagi's broach was taken by him one night. Luna was living with Artemis and Minako.

The violence began one night after Usagi had demanded her broach back.

It had started out as a simple slap to the face. The next night it wasn't an open palm that greeted her face as he returned home, it was a rock hard closed fist. Her eye swelled up the next morning.

The next morning he bought her pastel pink roses and an apology.

The next week it happened again. And he apologized with another gift, this time a new necklace.

And again it happened, each time worse then the last. And again, and again.

Which takes us to the present, where the beautifully broken woman is curled up in a ball, her ribs aching from the multiple kicks they had been subjected to, her lip bleeding, and her ankle twisted, crying her baby blue eyes out.

"What did I do wrong this time?" The damaged rose asked aloud, knowing no answer would come when in truth, the poor naïve female had done nothing but say 'hi' before the violence had begun.

The innocent beauty had been brainwashed after a year and a half of abuse and pain to believe she was a black sheep and always deserved her 'punishments' as he referred to them.

Mamoru had left to go god knows where, the only places open where bars and strip-joints.

Usagi slowly stood up, wincing at the pain in her ankle. Tears ran down her flushed face, still beautiful despite her puffy and red eyes and abused face.

Usa forced herself to clean up the broken glasses and plates and the blood, all of which was her own. If the house wasn't spotless more pain would follow. That was the only thought in her mind; clean or more punishment was sure to follow.

Within the hour the mess was gone and her pain was now numbed thanks to her pain relievers.

The blond beauty smiled a bit, proud of her work.

Usagi moved to the computer, knowing her husband wouldn't be back for hours, and turned it on. As the electronic box booted up she sang in a soft, melodic voice, "Something's wrong, I was promised so much more then this. Where's my happy ever after…" Lithe fingers moved the cursor to her messaging system, logging in she smiled and entered a random chat room. Her display picture was of a moonlight rose.

**StarSavior:** Hello BunnyLove

**BunnyLove:** Hello to you to

**SS:** ASL?

**BL:** 20/F/My own personal hell. Ur ASL?

**SS: **Sounds fun. 22/M/Lonelyville

**BL:** Lol!

**SS:** So what can I call you?

**BL:** Roses. And u?

**SS:** Light. You married?

**BL:** Yes…

**SS:** U don't seem to happy, wats wrong?

**BL:** Nothin, Im just a bad wife.

**SS:** How so?

**BL:** I cant do anything right so I get punished for it

**SS:** Punishment!? Do you get smacked around??

**BL:** …I gotta go…. BYE!

**BUNNYLOVE HAS SIGNED OUT**

**SS: **Damnit

**STARSAVIOR HAS SIGNED OUT**

His display picture was of a shooting star.

Usagi erased all traces of her on the computer. The nervous blond walked over to her nightstand and pulled out her nightclothes, a pair of white lounge pants and a pale pink tank top with Tweety on the front.

After she was finished changing she washed her face and disinfected her swollen lip, hissing from the sharp sting. Usa grabbed her brush and undid her hair odangos and began to brush the butt-length silky, golden blond locks.

A slight smile graced her bruised lip as she finished. The 20 year old fell backwards onto the bed and drifted off to sleep. The only time she was honestly peace filled.

Her rest didn't last long though; an hour later a loud bang was heard in the kitchen. Usagi scrambled to her feet and rushed downstairs to help her drunken spouse to bed.

Mamoru was surprisingly sweet when intoxicated or around company, most other times he was violent and cruel. Usa hadn't been able to transform for a year and a half, a feat that pained the Moon Princess drastically. But right now Usagi was content with his drowsy and drunk status.

Slowly but surely they made it to their room where she removed his shoes, socks, pants, and jacket, leaving him in his plaid boxers and black T-shirt.

She then collapsed happily onto the bed and fell asleep.

-- -- -- --

The next morning was similar to her others. A plate of breakfast was waiting for her when she woke up and Mamoru, all dressed for work, with a smile and a present of red roses and what appeared to be clothes.

Usa forced a smile and hugged Mamoru who kissed the top of her head, the touch making her shiver slightly. She sat back down and opened the gift; it was a beautiful pink dress with flutter sleeves and a sash.

"Thank you so much Mamo-chan!"

He smiled down at her. "I love you Bun, you just get on my nerves sometimes which is why you get punished." His eyes never lost their shiver of malice nor did his smile ever reach his eyes. "Well I have to go." And with that the air of malice left the room along with the tall man.

Usa stared down at her food and began to eat quickly; she had a lot of work to do, yard work, housework, and then her business online.

Usagi made a mental list of her chores:

Sweep

Mop

Wax Floors

Vacuum

Dishes

Laundry- Bed sheets and clothes

Rake Leafs

Mow Lawn

Weed Eat the Yard

Water Garden

Cook Dinner

A sigh echoed in the room, she hated Mondays.

-- -- -- - -- -- -- -- - -- --

I know most will hate me for making Mamoru the bad guy but I couldn't help it!

I 3 The couple who this story is about so tuff monkey crap to Mamoru!

...But seriously, did ya'll like it?

Julieann


	2. A Brutal Awakening

**DISCLAIMER:** Maybe then I wouldnt have to worry about my math grades...

WARNING! Near the middle of this chapter, things get rather violent. You can skip it if you please.

* * *

Usagi's eyes searched the room for any flaws

Usagi's eyes searched the room for any flaws. None. It had taken her from 7am to 3pm to complete all the chores. Eight hours of non-stop work.

The small girl sighed as she turned the slow cooker on and tossed in some veggies and some store bought roast along with beef stock. After dinner was started she got out the premade cookie dough and went to bake them as the instructions directed the culinary-inept girl.

-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

" - Scratched and bruised, A little used, But baby I work fine.  
You might call me damaged goods, But I'm one of a kind."

Usagi sang as she stepped from the steamy enclosure of the shower stall, her hair wet from the flow of hot water. Wrapping a fluffy white towel around her wet body she smiled. A shower always helped her to relax.

Usa quickly dried off and changed into the sundress she had received that morning.

She just had to check on the dinner and put the cookies on the cooling rack then she could check her online business, she was an advisor on a website team. Mainly she gave them advice on patterns and such.

"Hmmmmm, the flowers and stripes are a good match…" And Usa typed just that. She had received an email about whether the flowers or birds were better with the stripes.

**DING! DONG! DING! DONG!**

It was 5:00; two more hours till her arrived home.

"Im so bored!" She whined, grabbing herself five of the cookies and a plate of chocolate ice cream from the kitchen before returning back to the computer desk. All though most times she was bruised and battered she still managed to retain her love of food.

Munching on the slightly undercooked chocolate chip pastry she logged onto her messaging system and who else but StarSavior was on!

**SS:** Hey again Roses

**BL:** Hi… Sorry about leaving so quickly last time

**SS:** Its fine. I guess we're not gonna continue our convo since u left so soon last time.

**BL:** Thank you.

**SS:** No prob. So wat do u like 2 do?

**BL:** Eat…Dance…Eat… Sing…Hang w/ friends. Wat about u?

**SS:** Sing, fight, read, annoy people, flirt. Wat don't u like?

**BL:** Cooking, cleaning, bullies, punishments…

**SS:** …

**BL:** Wat about u?

**SS: **People who hurt others, evil, liars, cleaning, you getting punished, leaving _her_ behind…

**BL: **…

**BL:** Thank you….

**BL: **…Who's 'her'?

**SS: **I'll tell u when u admit that he hurts u.

**BL: **…

**BL: **I can't say that cause I deserve it…

**SS:** No one deserves being hurt, not even the worst of all scum. A friend I once had the privilege of working with was a sweet, kind, strong, caring, and innocent girl who would try not to hurt the people she fought,

**SS: **And if he is hurting u then he is the one who deserves the 'punishment'. Not u

**BL: **I… have to go!

**SS: **Just remember ur not the bad person, he is.

**BL: **Good bye and… thank you…

**BUNNYLOVE HAS SIGNED OUT**

**SS:** Poor girl…

**STARSAVIOR HAS LOGGED OUT**

"Hes-hes so sweet… But only cause he doesn't know how bad I am." A tear trailed down her lightly tanned skin. "_No_. Be strong Usagi! You once were a beautiful, strong, confident Sailor Scout! You were good… Until he took your broach…"

Realization hit Usa in the face. Mamoru had taken away the part of her that made her confident and strong. He had taken away her strength and will when he had claimed the bit of jewelry as his own, something he had no right to do.

"But maybe I deserved it…" The tinge of self-doubt which StarSavior had vanquished for the time being had returned.

The clock dinged again signaling that it was now 6:30.

Usagi's eyes widened as she began to erase all the traces of her acts on the computer. She shut down the machine and quickly washed her dishes and put them away just as the clock hit 6:45. Plates were set out on the table and the stew was placed on a floral placemat, slightly burnt on the bottom, as were all of the cooking-impaired woman's dishes. They were either undercooked or burnt.

A door opened and Usa twirled around to greet her husband with a fake smile and hug but froze at the glint in his dark eyes.

"Uh oh…" Usagi whispered as she fell to her knees, prepared to beg for mercy.

The glint in his eyes darkened as he moved over, showing his boss to the rapidly standing girl.

"Ohayo!" Usagi said, bowing. The boss was a woman which shook Usa for a moment.

"Im Tsukino, Usagi. Welcome." She greeted becoming the polite and docile wife required of her when in company.

"Ohayo Tsukino. Im Mikado, Ayame." The tall ebony haired woman said, looking down at the 4' 11" Usagi, against Mikado's 5' 8" Usagi looked like a child. Mikado Ayame was the exact opposite of the ethereal and natural beauty in front of her.

Bright green eye shadow made Ayame's brown eyes look even smaller if that was possible. And her bright red lipstick cracked on her impossibly thin lips. Her body, however, was one of surgical enhancement; large breasts, perfectly thin figure, and zero fat. All visible through her skin-tight deep red suit. If Usagi had met the women on the streets she'd say the women was a simple whore.

"Nice to meet you Mikado-san." Usagi winced as she bowed once more to the woman who radiated such a pompous, superior attitude.

"Mamo-chan, Mikado-san. Dinner is awaiting you both in the dinning room." Usagi led the two, ignoring the way Ayame clung to Mamoru. Pretending that she didn't feel any pain at the fact of their blatant flirting because she was exhausted, not because she just didn't care anymore.

Two hours of answering to the two's beck and call left Usagi to clean up the house while they left to 'discuss' business matters at her place. 'More like have the s-word!' Usagi refused to say or think the three letter word as she cleaned up the house in 15 minutes flat.

Usa knew it would take an hour to drive to Mikado's house, half an hour for their fun and an hour to drive back, all together she had two hours and 15 minutes left. And what did Usagi do?

What else but log onto the computer to chat with StarSavior.

**BL: **Hey Light

**SS: **Hello ur self Roses

**SS: **Ur on soon

**BL: **Yea I got free time

**SS: **Don't u mean hes not there

**BL: **Yes… Hes off with his boss

**SS: **Sounds like ur free

**BL: **Free? He took away my reason to be good; he took away the part of me that made me who I am

**SS: **Why don't u get it back?

**BL: **I cant find it…

**SS: **Ah.

**SS: **Well no one deserves to be cheated on and abused!

**BL: **How did u know he was with her like that!?

**SS: **I just had a feeling about it

**BL: **oh…

**BL: **Before he took it away I had feelings like that too

**BL: **But there gone now… they've been gone for a year and a half… it hurts…

**SS: **Why don't u ask for it back?

**BL:** I did once… And I got slapped. It began all this… I started the pain…

Usagi was crying roughly as she typed.

**SS: **U didn't start it! That sick son of a bitch did!

**BL: **…It feels like I did though…

**SS: **U didn't… U seem to sweet to do anything wrong Roses.

The blond looked at the clock.

**BL: **I gotta go! He'll be home soon…

**SS: **Good bye and good luck Roses!

**BL: **Goodbye!

**BUNNYLOVE HAS LOGGED OUT**

**SS: **Who is she….?

**STARSAVIOR HAS LOGGED OUT**

All memory of her tracks was erased. Just as she stood up and moved from the computer the front door clicked open, the sound triggering the Senshi's courage, flaring it up this time.

"I want my strength back." Usagi mumbled as she straightened up, standing tall.

"Hello Usako. What are you still doing up?" Mamoru asked, his black eyes glinting dangerously, a warning in their own nature. Usagi ignored the bells going off in her head, her mind set on her plan; getting her broach back.

"I want my broach back if you don't mind." Usagi said, her bubbly voice more serious then it had ever been in her life. Her mission crystal clear in her mind: Get the broach then get out.

"And what, then you leave?" Mamoru asked as though reading her mind as he moved towards her faltering form. "Teh, you'd never leave me. You leave, no matter where you go, and I'll find you,"

Usagi's eyes flickered before Star Saviors' typed words came back to her, 'You didn't start it!' Her eyes regained their flurry of power. "I want my broach." Her words fell o deaf ears as he began to laugh.

He approached her slowly and used a finger to trace Usa's trembling lips. "My poor Bunny…" His hand drew back then came at her face with a smack. "Don't ever talk back. _Ever_." He turned around.

Usagi's ears rang with her Light's words, 'No one deserves being hurt!' She shut her blue eyes and took a deep breath. "I don't deserve this, I did nothing wrong." Despite the quivering pitch of her voice, her tone was solid and strong. Her eyes shot open.

"What did you say?" Mamoru turned around, his fist colliding with her nose.

"ITA!!" Usagi landed on the ground with a thud, further bruising her body.

"I warned you." Mamoru said in an eerily calm voice, kicking her in her side again and again, Usagi's sobs and pleas falling to uncaring ears. "You." He picked her up by her long hair, "Must." Her body shook with sobs and fear, "Be." One fist collided with her stomach, "Punished." Usagi couldn't breath as another fist knocked the wind from her once more.

Her thin body was shoved into the wall behind her as Mamoru began to ram his knee into her flat stomach, blood spewed from her mouth at the sudden sharp pain, something was broken. A moan escaped lips pulled back in a grimace of pain.

'NO one deserves this.' Usagi started to struggle, each movement sending a shockwave of pain through her weak body.

"You wanna fight huh?" And with that her tiny arm was twisted at an awkward angle, breaking her left wrist.

"Aya!" Her loud scream made her own ears ring, she fell unconscious moments later.

-- -- -- --

"Ita!" Usagi froze. A puddle of blood, her own, was dried around her. Never had Mamoru caused such damage to her, he'd never broken a bone before now.

A chill entered her spine as none other then Mamoru entered the room. "Im leaving to America for a month. I should be back then." And with those words he left the house.

Those twelve words filled the brutally broken woman with hope as she dragged her violently damaged body to the couch where she fell unconscious once more.

* * *

Thank you super much for all your reviews!! I was almost crying when I typed this. Poor Usagi-chan! Well tell me whatcha thought!!

Julieannn


	3. A Flurry of Painful Memories

**DISCLAIMER:** I wish!!

And to the annonymis(Dont even ask me hows its spelt xD) reviwers:

moonlove: I got the chappie up finally!

Caroline: I loved your review! And thanks for saying so. He is having an affair with her and the reasons behind his behavior will be told in either the next chappie of the one after that.

And a special note to one **Tankos**: Dude, flame it and critisize it all you want. I tried being polite and listening to your opinion but even _I_ have a limit of listening to peoples bullshit. And dispite what you say there are people who like the story so F-OFF!

--

Four hours later Usagi awoke with a splitting headache and near unbearable pain in her ribs and wrist. Even if she hadn't heard the tell-tale snap of her bones at the time she could tell by the swollen flesh. That and the fact that each breath she took caused a sharp pain in her chest. How bad the wounds her small body was forced to hold, Usagi didn't know, she had yet to go to college and hadn't found first-aid to be the most interesting of subjects.

A groan left her throat as she struggled up. And fell directly back onto the couch. Tears began to leak from her closed eyes which slowly opened as her right arm, her good arm, moved to push her hair from her face as her features contorted into a grimace, it hurt to even move. Usa could feel that Mamoru had continued with his destruction even after she had lost consciousness, Her partially healed bruises were now as vibrant as before as were the new ones.

Usagi's body hurt and ached in places she didn't even know existed.

Sobs racked her pain filled and weak body as she struggled off the bed, landing on the other arm sending injections of pain through the broken appendage.

"Aya!" Usagi cried out in pain and once more collapsed into her sweet bliss, her escape from the pain. At least for the time being.

Another three hours made Usagi awake with the desperate need to relieve herself.

"Ah!" Usa moaned as she began to drag her body into a standing position, after all her legs were unharmed. Fifteen minutes of struggling finally got the girl to stand up. Not fully upright though, a slight slouch was noticeable. The strain on her ribs from standing straight would have been damn near unbearable.

A slow shuffle was how Usagi made her progress into the bathroom where she gratefully relieved herself. Then struggled to stand up. She wined up leaning on the stable form of the counter which, luckily, held the first aid kit complete with gauze, disinfectants, pain relievers, a pair of wooden splints also, along with several other things she packed as to be prepared for anything Mamoru did to her.

Her first move was to disinfect and clean all of the wounds, which she did with the help of a washcloth. Then came the bandaging of her ribs which made her hiss in pain as she had to use her other hand also to hold it in place while she wrapped it.

Then came the putting of a splint on her arm and wrapping gauze around it to hold it in place. She also pulled on a wrist brace.

And finally she filled an empty bottle with cold tap water, took the pain relievers and refilled the bottle once more.

A hobble the rate of a snail was how she moved to her bed which she leaned on and removed her torn dress and replaced it with a tank top, this would make her dressing her wounds easier.

"Well I have a month of hell ahead of me." Usagi could've cried at that had she not been so exhausted. Instead she mumbled, "I'll go find the phone ion a few minutes, I just need a nap right now…" Her eyes closing as her ragged breathing evened out.

-- -- - - - - - -

Five more hours till she rewoke, the clock just striking 8:00 pm. Thirteen hours had passed since Mamoru had left, suitcase in tow. And twelve of those hours had been spent in blissful unconsciousness. And in those fine hours of sleep her painkillers had dispersed from her tiny form.

A sudden wave of nausea hit Usagi and she turned over in the bed and commenced to vomit on the floor. Tears dropped onto the hardwood as her body continued to heave, her throat burning and her ribs in immense pain from the sharp movements.

"Why?" She moaned, almost vomiting again from the site and smell of her last excruciating expel of what little fluids she had in her body.

Usa climbed off the bed on the other side and stopped as a wave of dizziness hit her almost causing her to fall over. She hadn't eaten since last night around 8. 24 hours had passed without food and her body was already immensely weakened. "Food then phone." Oh yes, Usagi remembered her plan to find the phone and call for help. But first she needed nourishment.

With slow movements and frequent stops she finally reached the kitchen in twenty minutes. Going to the fridge she grabbed some of the leftover stew and cookies in her good arms hold and placed them on the table. Then she grabbed a glass of milk, a bowl, and a spoon. She scooped out some of the leftovers into her bowl and took small bites, each time washing it down with the cold milk and a cookie. It hurt each time she swallowed but Usagi knew she had to do it.

The food was gone soon enough and she stoop up and placed her dishes in the sink. Grabbing another bowl and spoon she scooped out strawberry ice cream and began to eat the icy treat.

Usa smiled once the sugary dessert was gone, her eyes were the brightest as she was no longer dizzy and shaky. A thought drifted through her mind.

_Phone! _Usagi scrambled up from her seat and almost fell over as another wave of nausea hit her. And once more the blond was doubled over as she threw up her partially digested food. A groan left her body as she struggled up. Finally she was standing. Baby steps were all she could manage as she moved to her room and once more fell asleep.

The sunlight streaming into the almost empty room awoke the only living organism in the space. "Mmmm," Usagi moaned, the ache back in her body, duller then before. "Oh crap, I gotta find that phone." She whined before holding a hand_**((This is where I started once more a few weeks after doing the first half so if the style of writing is different Im sorry!))**_ to her stomach and easing her way around her own dried vomit.

A mental note was made in the blonds mind to clean it up or she'd vomit once more from the sickly smell.

Slowly the moon senshi moved to the hall, her mind set on reaching the small end table that held her means of help.

A low horrified moan echoed in the room as tear-filled-blue eyes caught sight of the empty space.

"Noooooo!" Pale knees hit the ground. Hard. The pain rocked her small body as the hot salty rain splattered on her exposed legs.

"He took it!" Her piteous moans and sobs shook her form. Insults of all shapes and sizes bounced around in her head. None of which were let past her still swollen lips. She refused to sink to his level with name-callings and curses.

As she leaned against the wall Usagi allowed hers thoughts to travel, travel back to happier times. Back when the other senshi were simply a house away…

_+"That's no fair!" Her squealing voice held nothing but warmth and an unwavering joy. Another shot hit the blond princess._

"_Your too slow Bun!" Another icy-blast hit the bikini-clad woman._

_A hot summer day found the five inner scouts and their various significant others engaged in an all-out water war. Boys vs. Girls._

"_Usagi get up! We can't let these loser men win!" Ami and Rei grabbed their giggling friend and pulled her behind the fence- their base._

_Usa bound up and began to laugh. "Lets kick their butts!" She exclaimed, charging out, the others following behind happily._

_"ATTACK!!"+_

"Ami, Rei, Makoto, Minako…" More tears spilled through her closed lids.

_+Usagi gazed up at Haruka with admiration shining like crystals in her pale blue eyes. _

"_Come one kid." A helmet was tossed to the blond. "We're late as it is." Usagi, Haruka, and the other outers had reservations at a classy restaurant and the two blonds were running late. Why? Because they had to pick up the handmade diamond and sapphire engagement ring._

_Tonight Haruka was to propose!_

_Thoughts spun around in her mind. Mostly of how sweet she thought it was that she had been invited to witness it!_

_-- --_

_Micheru's aqua eyes sparkled in excitement as Haruka went down on one knee. As the life changing words were spoken Hotaru began to cheer, Setsuna broke into tears of joy, and Usa did both._

_Neptune and Uranus' princesses embraced, both women were crying.+_

"Setsuna, Hotaru, Micheru, Haruka…" The last name sent a shiver of sorrow through her spine. Her protector was miles away.

_+"Murrow." Luna brushed her tail in a teasing way along Artemis' flank._

"_Aww!" Usagi leaned against the railing watching the cats below. "Such a sweet couple!"_

_A hand came out, petting Usagi's head. "Thanks for coming over Seiya, Yaten, and Taiki. Everyone else was busy and I was feeling a bit out of it." Mamoru was a week from returning from America and Usa had received the message from Neo-Queen Serenity._

"_No problem Odango." Seiya told the blond as she instead leaned her head in his lap, her eyes on the stars._

"_We'll I'd gotten a note from Neo- Queen Serenity saying not to ma-"_

"_Usagi we have to leave now." Yaten broke through her words. Seiya and Taiki were the only ones to have noticed the dried tear stains on her face._

"_What? Now!?" Usagi was freaking out! The Queen had told her to look to the Stars for advice._

_And now they were leaving…+_

Usagi's heart broke once more and another river of tears rushed out. Because of the Stars leaving she had dismissed the message of warning.

"God how I miss them all!" The cats were with Minako as they had decided to leave the couple alone to their privacy. Rei was busy with her temple, Minako was in England on the set of a movie, Ami was in Africa helping take care of the kids now that she had a degree in pediatrics, Makoto was in chef school, Micheru was on tour with Hotaru, Haruka was in the midst of a racing competition, and Setsuna was on her honeymoon with a lab partner. And the three Starlights were on their own ways. The three senshi had been the only ones she didn't get updated on by Mamoru.

And that hurt her the most.

"Their probably still on Kinmoku." Usagi mumbled aloud.

Usagi forced herself to think of the here and now. Not the past and her friends. Focus on escaping.

**Escaping.**

Never had the princess allowed herself to entertain the thought of freedom. At least not for a while.

"Escape…" The words flowed softly from her bruised lips. Six letters had never tasted as sweet as they did at that moment.

_But_, her logical side replied, _We need the broach and to contact someone!_

Logic put it all in perspective. If Usa was right then the computer was gone also, the windows barred, the doors were sentenced to the same fate, and the broach's position was unknown.

"I'll rest for a week then look for it." Her voice richoched in the empty room as she pulled herself up and made her way to her room.

-- -- -- --

A week passed and her bruises healed. Usagi now knew how to manage with a broken wrist and several broken ribs. She commenced to throw up each day which she chalked up with her damaged ribs.

--

Everyone I am immensly sorry with the long wait. School ended for the summer on the 10th and I've been out of it. I miss everyone there so bad especially one guy. And so a shoutout to the CSD eigth graders: I LOVE YA'LL!!

On a more serious note, one kind reviewer told me that it might be smart to raise the level to M. Theres a poll on my profile about this. I would kindly appreciate your inputs on this matter.

Sincerly,

Julieann


End file.
